V and W class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and generally treated as one class. For their time they were among the most powerful and advanced ships of their type in the world, and set the trend for future British designs.
They arrived in time to see service in the First World War. During the interwar period these ships formed the backbone of the Royal Navy's destroyer flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
s until gradually replaced by new construction, by the mid-1930s most had been displaced to the reserve fleet
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
. Most ships survived to make an extensive contribution to the Second World War effort, in the vital role of the convoy escort, freeing up more modern ships for fleet action.
History
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River class destroyer
The River-class destroyer was a heterogeneous class of torpedo boat destroyer built to assorted builders' designs for the Royal Navy at the turn of the 20th century, which saw extensive service in World War I...
of 1902 that had introduced the classic raised forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
into the Royal Navy. The Tribal class
Tribal class destroyer (1905)
The Tribal or F class was a class of destroyer built for the Royal Navy. Twelve ships were built between 1905 and 1908 and all saw service during World War I, where they saw action in the North Sea and English Channel as part of the 6th Flotilla and Dover Patrols.-Design:The preceding River or E...
of 1905 introduced oil-firing and the resultant economies in size, consumption and crew. The Parker class leader
Flotilla leader
A flotilla leader was a warship suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships, typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer...
of 1915 had introduced a raised shelter deck forwards, allowing two guns to be carried in the classic superfiring (i.e. one gun fires over the top of the one below and in front of it) "A" and "B" positions. The Yarrow Later M class
Yarrow Later M class destroyer
The Yarrow Later M class were a class of seven destroyers built for the Royal Navy that saw service during World War I. They were based on the preceding and successful Yarrow M class with minor alterations; notably reduced beam to compensate for increased displacement and a sloping stern...
, also of 1915, introduced a three-boiler, two-funnel layout allowing for a more compact hull and giving increased deckspace and the R class
R class destroyer
Two classes of destroyer of the Royal Navy are known as the R class:* R class destroyer , sixty-two ships, launched in 1916 and 1917, that served in World War I* Eight ships of the Q and R class, launched in 1942, that served in World War II...
introduced geared turbines
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
giving 30,000 shp on two shafts.
Design
The new design, originally known as the Admiralty V class Leader, incorporated all these improvements, and also a more sensible layout of the main armament, the amidships gun between the funnels being removed to the aft shelter deck, superfiring over the gun on the quarterdeckQuarterdeck
The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
. This introduced the ubiquitous "A", "B", "X", "Y" layout for the main armament. New developments, such as director firing
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
for the main armament, triple torpedo tubes and a heavier armament were introduced either from the outset, or as they became available. Ships with triple tubes became the Admiralty W class and those with their armament upgraded to the BL 4.7 in gun
BL 4.7 inch /45 naval gun
The BL 4.7 inch 45 calibres gun was a British medium-velocity naval gun introduced in 1918 for destroyers, to counter a new generation of heavily-armed destroyers Germany was believed to be developing....
became Admiralty Modified W class ships.
Admiralty V class leaders
The Admiralty V class leaders were the initial five V class ships ordered in April 1916 and were designed and built as flotilla leader
Flotilla leader
A flotilla leader was a warship suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships, typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer...
s. These ships were necessary as the 36 knot speed of the new S class
S class destroyer (1916)
The S class were a class of 67 destroyers built from 1917 for the Royal Navy. The design was based on the Admiralty modified R class and all ships had names beginning with S or T....
meant that existing flotilla leaders would no longer be able to keep pace with their charges. To speed construction time, these new vessels were based on the three boiler, two funnel machinery of the R class
R class destroyer (1916)
The first R class were a class of 62 destroyers built between 1916 and 1917 for the Royal Navy. They were an improvement, specifically in the area of fuel economy, of the earlier M-class destroyers...
and as they were inevitably larger, a slight decrease in speed was accepted. The fore funnel was tall and narrow and the after one was shorter and wider.
They differed from the later Admiralty and the Thornycroft V classes in that they had a larger bridge structure, taller foremast, mainmast mounted further aft to accommodate an enlarged spread of wireless aerials, extra boats abreast the after funnel and the searchlight platform between the torpedo tubes was enlarged to accommodate an extra compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
. Vampire trialled triple-tube mountings for her torpedoes and as a result had a total of six tubes.
Ships
- Valentine — built by Cammell Laird & Company, BirkenheadBirkenheadBirkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, laid down 8 August 1916, launched 24 March 1917, completed 27 June 1917, damaged by GermanNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
aircraft, beached and abandoned off TerneuzenTerneuzenTerneuzen is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. With over 55,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality of Zeeland.-Population centres :...
15 May 1940, salvaged 1953 and broken up. - Valhalla — built by Cammell Laird, laid down 8 August 1916, launched 22 May 1917, completed 31 July 1917, sold for breaking up 17 December 1931.
- ValkyrieHMS Valkyrie (1917)HMS Valkyrie was a First World War V class flotilla leader of the Royal Navy. She was originally to be called HMS Malcolm but was re-named before being completed. The name Malcolm was later assigned to another destroyer leader...
— built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 25 May 1916, launched 12 March 1917, completed 16 June 1917, sold for breaking up 24 August 1936. - Valorous — built by Denny, laid down 25 May 1916, launched 5 August 1917, completed 21 August 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- Vampire — built by J. Samuel White & Company, CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, laid down 10 October 1916, launched 21 May 1917, completed 22 September 1917, transferred to Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
in October 1933, bombed and sunk by JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese aircraft in Bay of BengalBay of BengalThe Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
9 April 1942.
Admiralty V class
The 23 vessels comprising the Admiralty V class were ordered in July 1916 as repeats of the Admiralty V class leaders to counter the threat posed by reports of a new class of powerful German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
destroyers. They omitted the flotilla leader function and as such differed in detail from the leader predecessor.
While all 23 ships were completed with two twin torpedo tubes (Voyager, which was completed with triple tubes, was an Admiralty W class unit ordered in December 1916), in 1921 all Admiralty V class had their forward bank replaced by a triple bank, for a total of five torpedoes; and from 1923 onwards most ships had their aft bank (twin tubes) replaced by a triple bank, for a total of six torpedoes, except in Vimy, Vanoc, Velox, Versatile and Vortigern in which only the forward bank was replaced.
Vanquisher, Vanoc, Velox, Vehement, Venturous, Versatile, Vimiera, Vittoria and Vortigern were built with the ability to be converted into minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
s within 24 hours. For this purpose they would land their torpedo tubes and "Y" gun on the quarterdeck and have screens fitted to protect the mines, of which up to sixty could be carried. They could be distinguished by the permanent mine chutes at the stern.
Ships
- Vancouver — built by William Beardmore & Company, DalmuirDalmuirDalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
, laid down 15 March 1917, launched 28 December 1917, completed 9 March 1918. Renamed Vimy on 1 April 1928 to release the name Vancouver for another destroyer acquired by the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
. Sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - Vanessa — built by Beardmore, laid down 16 May 1917, launched 16 March 1918, completed 27 April 1918. Given pennant number G18. Sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- Vanity — built by Beardmore, laid down 28 July 1918, launched 3 May 1918, completed 21 June 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- Vanoc — built by John Brown & CompanyJohn Brown & CompanyJohn Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the...
, ClydebankClydebankClydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, laid down 20 September 1916, launched 14 June 1917, completed 15 August 1917, sold for breaking up 26 July 1945, wrecked off PenrynPenryn, CornwallPenryn is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penryn River about one mile northwest of Falmouth...
en route to breakers in June 1946, later salved and scrapped at Falmouth. - Vanquisher — built by John Brown, laid down 27 September 1916, launched 18 August 1917, completed 2 October 1917. Given pennant number D54, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- Vectis — built by J. Samuel White & Company, CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, laid down 7 December 1916, launched 4 September 1917, completed 5 December 1917, sold for breaking up 25 August 1936. - Vega — built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, PallionPallionPallion is a suburb, civil parish and electoral ward of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Most of the buildings in the area were built during the Victorian Era and consist of large terraced houses built for wealthy shipbuilders, but also smaller one storey cottages in other areas...
, laid down 11 December 1916, launched 1 September 1917, completed 14 December 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - Vehement — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 1916, launched 6 July 1917, completed 1917, mined and sunk in North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
1 August 1918. - Velox — built by Doxford, laid down January 1917, launched 17 November 1917, completed 1 April 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
- VendettaHMAS Vendetta (D69)HMAS Vendetta was a V class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy...
— built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, GovanGovanGovan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
, laid down November 1916, launched 3 September 1917, completed 17 October 1917, transferred to Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
October 1933, scuttled off SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
2 July 1948. - Venetia — built by Fairfield, laid down 2 February 1917, launched 29 October 1917, completed 19 December 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuaryThames EstuaryThe Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
19 October 1940. - Venturous — built by Denny, laid down 9 October 1916, launched 21 September 1917, completed 29 November 1917, sold for breaking up 24 August 1936.
- Verdun — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, HebburnHebburnHebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
, laid down 13 January 1917, launched 21 August 1917, completed 3 November 1917, sold for breaking up March 1946. - Versatile — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 31 January 1917, launched 21 August 1917, completed 3 November 1917, sold for scrapping 1946
- Verulam — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 1917, launched 3 October 1917, mined and sunk off Seiskari Island in Gulf of FinlandGulf of FinlandThe Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
on night of 3/4 September 1919. - Vesper — built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, LinthouseLinthouseLinthouse is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. It is immediately west of Govan, and although it is often referred to locally as 'Govan' due to its closeness, it is in fact a distinct area .Linthouse was home to the shipbuilder...
, laid down 7 December 1916, launched 15 December 1917, completed 20 February 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - VidetteHMS Vidette (D48)HMS Vidette was an Admiralty V class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Alexander Stephens & Sons Limited in Linthouse, Govan on 1 February 1917, was launched on 28 February 1918, and completed on 27 April 1918....
— built by Stephen, laid down 1 February 1917, launched 28 February 1918, completed 27 April 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - VimieraHMS Vimiera (1917)HMS Vimiera was V-Class destroyer ordered as part of the 1917-18 Program.-Early activity:One of her early missions was a trip to Reval, conveying Leonid Krasin and Viktor Nogin back to the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, following the first stage of negotiations in the Anglo-Soviet Trade...
— built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, WallsendWallsendWallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, laid down October 1916, launched 22 June 1917, completed 19 September 1917, mined and sunk in Thames estuary 9 January 1942. - Violent — built by Swan Hunter, launched 1 September 1917, sold for breaking up 8 March 1937.
- Vittoria — built by Swan Hunter, 29 October 1917, torpedoed and sunk by BolshevikBolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
submarine Pantera off Seiskari Island in Gulf of FinlandGulf of FinlandThe Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
1 September 1919. - Vivacious — built by, Yarrow & Company, laid down July 1916, launched 13 November 1917, completed 29 December 1917, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- Vivien — built by Yarrow, laid down July 1916, launched 16 February 1918, completed 28 May 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
- Vortigern — built by White, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 15 October 1917, completed 25 January 1918, torpedoed and sunk by GermanNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
E-boatE-boatE-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
off CromerCromerCromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
15 March 1942.
Admiralty W class
The Admiralty W class comprised 21 vessels, all ordered in December 1916, although the two ships ordered from Yarrow were cancelled in April 1917 and replaced by the orders for two Yarrow S class (Tomahawk and Torch). The Admiralty W class ships were a follow on from the Admiralty V class, with minimal changes, primarily in that the triple torpedo tube mounting was now ready and all these vessels shipped two of these mountings from new. They also had a taller mainmast.
Ships
- VoyagerHMAS Voyager (D31)HMAS Voyager was a W class destroyer of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Commissioned into the RN in 1918, the destroyer remained in RN service until 1933, when she was transferred to the RAN...
— built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, LinthouseLinthouseLinthouse is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. It is immediately west of Govan, and although it is often referred to locally as 'Govan' due to its closeness, it is in fact a distinct area .Linthouse was home to the shipbuilder...
, laid down 17 May 1917, launched 8 May 1918, completed 24 June 1918, transferred to Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
in October 1933, bombed by Japanese aircraft and beached TimorTimorTimor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
23 September 1942. - WakefulHMS Wakeful (H88)HMS Wakeful was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was built under the 1916-17 Programme in the 10th Destroyer order. The Wakeful was assigned to the Grand Fleet after completion, and served into the early years of the Second World War...
— built by William Beardmore & Company, DalmuirDalmuirDalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 6 October 1917, completed 16 November 1917, torpedeod and sunk by GermanKriegsmarineThe Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
E-boatE-boatE-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
S30 off NieuwpoortNieuwpoort, BelgiumNieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2008 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062....
29 May 1940. - Walker — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 26 March 1917, launched 29 November 1917, completed 2 February 1918, sold for breaking up 15 March 1946.
- WalpoleHMS Walpole (D41)HMS Walpole was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.The ship was built under the 1916-17 Programme in the 10th Destroyer order. Walpole was assigned to the 13th Destroyer Flotilla in the Grand Fleet after completion, and served until almost the end of the Second World War...
— built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, PallionPallionPallion is a suburb, civil parish and electoral ward of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Most of the buildings in the area were built during the Victorian Era and consist of large terraced houses built for wealthy shipbuilders, but also smaller one storey cottages in other areas...
, laid down May 1917, launched 12 February 1918, completed 7 August 1918, mined in North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
6 January 1945 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 8 February 1945. - Walrus — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, GovanGovanGovan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
, laid down 1917, launched 27 December 1917, completed 8 March 1918, stranded in Scarborough North Bay 12 February 1938 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 5 March 1938. - WarwickHMS Warwick (D25)HMS Warwick was a Admiralty 'W' class destroyer built in 1917.She saw service in both the First and Second World Wars, before being torpedoed and sunk in January 1944.-Construction:...
— built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, HebburnHebburnHebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
, laid down 10 March 1917, launched 28 December 1917, completed 18 March 1918, torpedoed and sunk by German U-boatU-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-413 off Trevose HeadTrevose Head LighthouseTrevose Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Trevose Head on the north Cornish coast at near Padstow. The tower is 27 metres tall, and has a range of , but, on a clear night, you can just spot the light from Pendeen Lighthouse, over away.-External links:*...
20 February 1944. - Watchman — built by Beadmore, laid down 17 January 1917, launched 2 November 1917, completed 26 January 1918, sold for breaking up 23 July 1945.
- WaterhenHMAS Waterhen (D22)HMAS Waterhen was a W class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy . Built during World War I, the destroyer was completed in mid 1918, and commissioned into the Royal Navy. In 1933, Waterhen and four other British ships were transferred to the RAN...
— built by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company, JarrowJarrowJarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...
, laid down July 1917, launched 26 March 1918, completed 17 April 1918, transferred to Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
in October 1933, bombed and sunk off of LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
by German and ItalianKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
aircraft 30 June 1941. - Wessex — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 23 May 1917, launched 12 March 1918, completed 11 May 1918, bombed by German aircraft off CalaisCalaisCalais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
24 May 1940. - WestcottHMS Westcott (D47)HMS Wescott was a V & W class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Named for Captain George Blagdon Westcott, killed at the Battle of the Nile, the destroyer served in the Second World War and sank two submarines in 1942 .Laid down in 1917 by Denny at Dumbarton, Scotland, Westcott was launched on...
— built by Denny, laid down 30 March 1917, launched 14 February 1918, completed 12 March 1918, sold for breaking up 8 January 1946. Notable for first-ever kill by HedgehogHedgehog (weapon)The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
depth charge mortar, destroying U-581 on 2 February 1942. - WestminsterHMS Westminster (L40)HMS Westminster was a W class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was the first ship to bear the name. Launched in 1918, she served through two World Wars, and survived both to be sold for scrap in 1947.-Construction and commissioning:...
— built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, GreenockGreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, laid down April 1917, launched 25 February 1917, completed 18 April 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - WhirlwindHMS Whirlwind (D30)The first HMS Whirlwind was an W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War I and the World War II....
— built by Swan Hunter & Wigham RichardsonSwan HunterSwan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
, WallsendWallsendWallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
laid down May 1917, launched 15 December 1917, completed 15 March 1918, torpedoed by German U-boat U-34SM U-34SM U-34 was a German U-Boat of World War I. Launched on May 9, 1914, U-34 sank a total of 119 ships during 17 combat patrols, while damaging another 5 ships. The vessel had three commanders during its time: Claus Rucker, Johannes Klasing, Wilhelm Canaris, and Klasing again, in that order...
southwest of IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, 5 July 1940. - Whitley (ex-Whitby) — built by Doxford, laid down June 1917, launched 13 April 1918, completed 14 October 1918, bombed by German aircraft and beached off Oostende 19 May 1940.
- WinchelseaHMS Winchelsea (D46)HMS Winchelsea was a W Class destroyer of the Royal Navy, ordered 9 December 1916 from J. Samuel White at Cowes during the 1916-17 Build Programme....
— built by J. Samuel White & Company, CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, laid down 25 May 1917, launched 15 December 1917, completed 15 March 1918, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945. - Winchester — built by White, laid down 12 June 1917, launched 1 February 1918, completed 29 April 1918, sold for breaking up 5 March 1946.
- Windsor — built by Scotts, laid down April 1917, launched 21 June 1918, completed 28 August 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- WolfhoundHMS Wolfhound (L56)HMS Wolfhound was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the First and Second World Wars. She was launched on 14 March 1918 and was sold for scrap in February 1948.-First World War and inter-war period:...
— built by Fairfield, laid down April 1917, launched 14 March 1918, completed 27 April 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1948. - Wrestler — built by Swan Hunter, laid down April 1917, launched 25 February 1918, completed 15 May 1918, mined off Juno BeachJuno BeachJuno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
6 June 1944 and written off as constructive total loss, sold for breaking up 20 July 1944. - WryneckHMS Wryneck (D21)HMS Wryneck was an Admiralty W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy, which was sunk during the Battle of Greece on 27 April 1941.-Construction:...
— built by Palmers, laid down April 1917, launched 13 May 1918, completed 11 November 1918, bombed by German aircraft off MoreaMoreaThe Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
, Greece 27 April 1941. - Wayfarer — ordered from Yarrow but not laid down, order cancelled April 1917.
- Woodpecker — ordered from Yarrow but not laid down, order cancelled April 1917.
Thornycroft V and W class
The Thornycroft V and W class were two V class and two W class specials built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited to Admiralty specifications. They were ordered in pairs six months apart, on 30 July 1916 and 9 December 1916, respectively. They could be recognised by a higher freeboard and shorter mainmast than the Admiralty type and the flat-sided funnels typical of Thornycroft. The large boiler room (two units) was aft with the single unit forward, the fore funnel therefore being narrower. This arrangement was transposed in the Thornycroft Modified W class. The V-class ships had twin torpedo tubes and those of the W-class triple units. The second pair had slightly more displacement and a guaranteed (by contract) speed of 36 knots compared with the 35 knots guaranteed for the first pair. Early in their careers the specified anti-aircraft gun, the QF 2 pounder, was replaced by a single QF 12 pdr 20 cwt Mark I weapon, on a platform between the after funnel and the forward torpedo tubes.
All except Viscount, which became a short range escort, were modified to WAIR type fast anti-aircraft escorts. Their conversions were non-standard in that they carried a pair of QF 2 pdr Mark VIII
QF 2 pounder naval gun
The 2-pounder gun, officially designated the QF 2-pounder and universally known as the pom-pom, was a 1.575 inch British autocannon, used famously as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy. The name came from the sound that the original models make when firing...
guns on platforms amidships - en echelon in Woolston only - and that Viceroy retained a bank of torpedoes for some time.
Ships
- Viceroy, built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down 15 December 1916, launched 17 November 1917, completed 5 February 1918, sold for breaking up June 1948.
- Viscount, built by Thornycroft, laid down 20 December 1916, launched 29 December 1917, completed 25 March 1918, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945 but actually broken up in May 1947.
- Wolsey, built by Thornycroft, laid down 28 March 1917, launched 16 March 1918, completed 1 May 1918, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- WoolstonHMS Woolston (1918)HMS Woolston was a W Class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served through two World Wars, surviving both of them.-Construction, commissioning and early career:...
, built by Thornycroft, laid down 25 April 1917, launched 27 April 1918, completed 28 June 1918, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
Thornycroft modified W class
The Thornycroft Modified W class were a private design by Thornycroft based on the Thornycroft V and W class to Admiralty specifications. The two ships were ordered in January 1918, at the same time as the first batch (of fourteen vessels ordered, of which only seven completed) of the Admiralty Modified W class. In these two ships, the position of the boiler rooms was reversed, with the two-boiler room forward and the single unit aft. As a result, the funnel arrangements were transposed, with the thick funnel forwards and the narrow funnel aft. In common with other Thornycroft designs, they had characteristic broad, flat-sided funnels. Like the Admiralty modified ships, the Thornycrofts were up-gunned with the BL 4.7 inch Mark I
BL 4.7 inch /45 naval gun
The BL 4.7 inch 45 calibres gun was a British medium-velocity naval gun introduced in 1918 for destroyers, to counter a new generation of heavily-armed destroyers Germany was believed to be developing....
weapon, and they received triple banks of torpedo tubes from the outset. Another feature of recognition was that the QF 2 pdr guns were mounted en echelon amidships, between the funnels.
The completion of Witch was delayed by the end of the war, and she was eventually towed to Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
and completed there at HM Dockyard. Both were converted to the Short Range Escort type during World War II.
Ships
- Wishart — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, laid down 18 May 1918, launched 18 July 1919, completed June 1920, sold for breaking up 20 March 1945.
- Witch — built by Thornycroft, laid down 13 June 1918, launched 11 November 1919, completed March 1924, sold for breaking up July 1946.
Admiralty modified W class
The two batches of orders placed in 1918 introduced the new BL 4.7 inch Mark I gun
BL 4.7 inch /45 naval gun
The BL 4.7 inch 45 calibres gun was a British medium-velocity naval gun introduced in 1918 for destroyers, to counter a new generation of heavily-armed destroyers Germany was believed to be developing....
, as well as providing triple torpedo tubes as standard.
Ships
Fourteen vessels were ordered to this revised design in January 1918 (as well as the two Thornycroft ships to a variant design), of which seven were subsequently cancelled.- VansittartHMS Vansittart (D64)HMS Vansittart was an Admiralty Modified W destroyer of the Royal Navy which saw service in the Second World War. So far she has been the only ship of the navy to bear the name Vansittart.-Construction and commissioning:...
— built by William Beardmore & Company, DalmuirDalmuirDalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
, laid down 1 July 1918, launched 17 April 1919, completed 5 November 1919, sold for scrapping 25 February 1946. - Vantage — also from Beardmore, renamed Vimy 1918, laid down 16 September 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Venomous (ex-Venom) — built by John Brown & CompanyJohn Brown & CompanyJohn Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the...
, ClydebankClydebankClydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, laid down 31 May 1918, launched 21 December 1918, completed 24 August 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - VerityHMS Verity (D63)HMS Verity was an Admiralty modified W class destroyer of the Royal Navy which saw service in, and survived, World War Two. Her pennant number was originally D63 but was changed to I63 in May 1940.-Convoy Defence:...
— built by John Brown, laid down 17 May 1918, launched 19 March 1919, completed 17 September 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947. - Volunteer — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, laid down 16 April 1918, launched 17 April 1918, completed 7 November 1919, sold for breaking up 4 March 1947.
- Votary — also from Denny, laid down 18 June 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Wanderer — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering CompanyFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering CompanyThe Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy and other navies through the First World War and the...
, GovanGovanGovan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
, laid down 7 August 1918, launched 1 May 1919, completed 18 September 1919, sold for breaking up 31 January 1946. - Warren — also from Fairfield, order moved to Chatham Dockyard then cancelled September 1919.
- Welcome — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, HebburnHebburnHebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
, laid down 9 April 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919. - Welfare — also from Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 22 June 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Whitehall — built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, WallsendWallsendWallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, laid down June 1918, launched 11 September 1919, completed by HM Dockyard ChathamChatham DockyardChatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
9 July 1924, sold for breaking up October 1945. - Whitehead — also by Swan Hunter, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Wren — built by Yarrow & Company, laid down June 1918, launched 11 November 1919, completed by HM Dockyard Pembroke DockPembroke DockPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
27 January 1923, bombed and sunk by German aircraft off of AldeburghAldeburghAldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
27 July 1940. - Wye — also by Yarrow, laid down January 1918, order cancelled September 1919.
A further thirty-eight vessels were ordered to this design in April 1918, of which thirty-one were subsequently cancelled and only seven completed.
- Vashon — built by William Beardmore & Company, DalmuirDalmuirDalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
, order cancelled 26 November 1918. - Vengeful — also from Beardmore, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Veteran — built by John Brown, laid down 30 August 1918, launched 26 April 1919, completed 13 November 1919, torpedoed and sunk by GermanNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
U-boatU-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-404 in Western AtlanticAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
26 September 1942. - Vigo — also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Vigorous — also from John Brown, renamed Wistful June 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Virulent — also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Volage — also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Volcano — also from John Brown, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Wager — built by Denny, laid down 2 August 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Wake — also from Denny, laid down 14 October 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Waldegrave — also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Walton — also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Whitaker — also from Denny, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Watson — ordered from Fairfield, order transferred to Devonport Dockyard where laid down 1918, order cancelled September 1919.
- Wave — also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Weazel — also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- White Bear — also from Fairfield, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Wellesley — built by Hawthorn Leslie, laid down 30 August 1918, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Wheeler — built by Scotts, laid down July 1918, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Whip — also from Scotts, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Whippet — also from Scotts, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Whelp — also from Scotts, order transferred to Pembroke Dockyard, order cancelled September 1918.
- WhitshedHMS Whitshed (D77)HMS Whitshed was a V and W class escort destroyer of the Royal Navy, laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited at Wallsend on 3 June 1918, launched in 1919, and commissioned on 11 July of that year...
— built by Swan Hunter, laid down 3 June 1918, launched 31 January 1919, completed 11 July 1919, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947. - Wild SwanHMS Wild Swan (D62)HMS Wild Swan was member of the V and W class of destroyers, of the "Admiralty modified W" type. Wild Swan, like most of the rest of class was launched too late for World War I....
— built by Swan Hunter, laid down July 1918, launched 17 May 1919, completed 14 November 1919, bombed and damaged by German aircraft and collided with a Spanish trawler 100 miles off of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, lost on 17 June 1942. - Willoughby — also from Swan Hunter, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Winter — also from Swan Hunter, order cancelled 26 November 1918.
- Witherington — built by J. Samuel White & Company, laid down 27 September 1918, launched 16 January 1919, completed 10 October 1919, sold for breaking up 20 March 1947, wrecked while en route CharlestownCharlestown, FifeCharlestown, Fife is a town in Scotland on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, adjoining Limekilns and Rosyth. Like Rosyth, Charlestown was home to a sizable shipbreaking industry in the mid twentieth centuryCharlestown is home to the The Scottish Lime Centre Trust which was established in 1994...
29 April 1947. - Wivern — built by White, laid down 19 August 1918, launched 16 April 1919, completed 23 December 1919, sold for breaking up 18 February 1947.
- WolverineHMS Wolverine (D78)HMS Wolverine was a Royal Navy destroyer, which saw service during the Second World War. She was the seventh ship to bear that name.-Construction:...
— built by White, laid down 8 October 1918, launched 17 July 1919, completed 27 February 1920, sold for breaking up January 1946. - Worcester — built by White, laid down 20 December 1918, launched 24 October 1919, completed by HM Dockyard PortsmouthHMNB PortsmouthHer Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
20 September 1922, mined and damaged in North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
23 December 1943, written off as constructive total loss and used as accommodation hulk Yeoman, broken up September 1946. - Wrangler — ordered from Yarrow, order later transferred to White, laid down 3 February 1919, order cancelled September 1919.
- Werewolf — ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, launched 17 July 1919 but not completed, order cancelled September 1919.
- Westphal — ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Westward Ho — ordered from Swan Hunter but transferred to White, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Yeoman — ordered from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- ZealousHMS Zealous (1919)HMS Zealous was to have been a modified W class destroyer built by the yards of Yarrow, and the third ship to bear the name Zealous. After the end of the First World War, construction was cancelled in March 1919....
— also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919. - Zebra — also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
- Zodiac — also from Yarrow, order cancelled 12 April 1919.
Australian ships
Four of the above ships along with destroyer leader Stuart were transferred to the Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
in October 1933. The ships all served in World War II with three being sunk or scuttled during 1941 and 1942. During their war service in the Mediterranean the five transfered ships made up a group that became famous as the Scrap Iron Flotilla
Scrap Iron Flotilla
The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II. The name scrap iron flotilla was bestowed upon the group by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels....
.
- VampireHMAS Vampire (D68)HMAS Vampire was a V class destroyer of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Launched in 1917 as HMS Wallace, the ship was renamed and commissioned into the RN later that year. Vampire was loaned to the RAN in 1933, and operated as a depot tender until just before World War II...
(Admiralty V class leader) - VendettaHMAS Vendetta (D69)HMAS Vendetta was a V class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy...
(Admiralty V class) - VoyagerHMAS Voyager (D31)HMAS Voyager was a W class destroyer of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Commissioned into the RN in 1918, the destroyer remained in RN service until 1933, when she was transferred to the RAN...
(Admiralty W class) - WaterhenHMAS Waterhen (D22)HMAS Waterhen was a W class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy . Built during World War I, the destroyer was completed in mid 1918, and commissioned into the Royal Navy. In 1933, Waterhen and four other British ships were transferred to the RAN...
(Admiralty W class)
Conversions for the Second World War
From 1937 the disposal of elderly V and W class vessels ceased, and most survivors were converted to fast escort vessels. The onset of the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
put a stop to lengthy conversions, but many ships were converted for convoy escort duty.
Long-range escort
The V and W class were designed to support the Grand FleetBritish Grand Fleet
The Grand Fleet was the main fleet of the British Royal Navy during the First World War.-History:It was formed in 1914 by the British Atlantic Fleet combined with the Home Fleet and it included 35-40 state-of-the-art capital ships. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe...
in its actions in the North Sea, for which they were required to make fairly short, high speed dashes. Thus, they were unsuitable for the Mid-Ocean Escort Force
Mid-Ocean Escort Force
Mid-Ocean Escort Force referred to the organization of anti-submarine escorts for World War II trade convoys between Canada and the British Isles...
role to which they found themselves allocated in the Second World War, where speeds over 20 knots were of limited value (as ASDIC
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
rapidly lost efficiency) and endurance was desirable over firepower.
To remedy such shortcomings, a number of V and W class were modified into long-range escorts to suit them to this sort of warfare. The small, single-unit boiler room was struck and the resulting space divided into fuel tanks (lower) and accommodation (upper). Not only did this both lower fuel consumption and increase bunkerage, but it provided much needed space for ballooning wartime crews. 'A' and 'Y' guns were landed and replaced with a Hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
ahead-throwing weapon and depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
stowage and launchers, respectively. The torpedo tubes were replaced with a QF 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun and platforms for a pair of 20 mm Oerlikon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
guns amidships, with a further pair in the bridge wings. Type 271 target indication radar was added in its distinctive "lantern" dome on the bridge and Type 291 air warning radar was added at the masthead, with High Frequency Direction Finding
Huff-Duff
High-frequency direction finding, usually known by its abbreviation HF/DF is the common name for a type of radio direction finding employed especially during the two World Wars....
(HF/DF) fitted in some ships. The maximum speed of the conversions was around 24.5 kn (13.3 m/s).
Converted long-range escorts were:
- Vanessa
- Vanoc
- Vanquisher
- Velox
- Vesper
- Versatile
- Vidette
- Vimy
- Vivacious
- Viscount
- Walker
- Warwick
- Watchman
- Westcott
- Winchelsea
- Wrestler
- Vansittart
- Venomous
- Verity
- Volunteer
- Wanderer
- Whitehall
WAIR
The WAIR type conversion supplemented the construction of HuntHunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
and Black Swan
Black Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
class escorts with their emphasis on anti-aircraft capabilities for east coast service (the exact meaning of 'WAIR' has fallen into obscurity, it is often capitalised suggesting an abbreviation
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
or acronym, but it is most likely derived from W-class anti-AIRcraft). The Thornycroft type leader
Thornycroft type leader
The Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class were a class of five destroyer leaders designed by John I. Thornycroft & Company and built by them at Woolston, Southampton for the Royal Navy towards the end of World War I. They were named after historical naval leaders. Only Shakespeare and...
Wallace was also given a WAIR conversion, but this larger ship also received a quadruple QF 2 pdr Mark VII mounting.
Converted ships were cleared to the main deck level, leaving only the funnels and after shelter deckhouse. The armament was replaced with four QF 4 inch L/45 Mark XVI guns
QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk XVI gun was the standard British Commonwealth naval anti-aircraft and dual-purpose gun of World War II.-Service:The Mk XVI superseded the earlier QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun on many Royal Naval ships during the late 1930s and early 1940s...
in two twin mountings HA/LA Mark XIX, shipped on the fore and aft shelter decks. The armament was controlled by a Mark II(W) rangefinder - director
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
, fitted with Radar Type 285 for target ranging as soon as it became available. A new tower bridge, reminiscent of the Hunt class, was built and the metric Radar Type 286 air warning was added at the foremast head, replaced by Type 291 as it became available. The armament was completed by a pair of quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine guns
Vickers .50 machine gun
The Vickers .50 machine gun, also known as the 'Vickers .50' was basically the same as the Vickers machine gun but scaled up to use a larger calibre round.-Mark II, IV and V:...
on a platform amidships, although sometimes single QF 2 pdr Mark VIII
QF 2 pounder naval gun
The 2-pounder gun, officially designated the QF 2-pounder and universally known as the pom-pom, was a 1.575 inch British autocannon, used famously as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy. The name came from the sound that the original models make when firing...
were carried in lieu. These guns were generally sided, but a number of ships had them arranged en echelon to allow cross-deck fire. These light weapons proved to be generally ineffective and were replaced by the 20 mm Oerlikon gun
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
as it became available, although other ships took priority and the older weapons were carried well into 1942 in some cases. Two racks and throwers for depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s were carried aft. Although this was mainly for self defence purposes, Viceroy sank U-1274 off the east coast of Scotland on 16 April 1945.
Ships were allocated new L-series (escort) pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
s upon re-commissioning:
- Valentine (L69)
- Valorous (L00)
- Vanity (L38)
- Vega (L40)
- Verdun (L93)
- Vimiera (L29)
- Vivien (L33)
- Viceroy (L21)
- Westminster (L40)
- Whitley (L23)
- Winchester (L55)
- Wolfhound (L56)
- Wolsey (L02)
- Woolston (L49)
- Wryneck (L04)
Short-range escort
The remaining V and W class were not given either of the former conversions as they were either early war losses, had the valuable BL 4.7 inch main gunBL 4.7 inch /45 naval gun
The BL 4.7 inch 45 calibres gun was a British medium-velocity naval gun introduced in 1918 for destroyers, to counter a new generation of heavily-armed destroyers Germany was believed to be developing....
or had the modified boiler arrangements of the Thornycroft and Admiralty modified designs with the small room aft. This latter feature proved unsuitable for the long-range escort conversion. Thus, these ships were known as Short-range escorts.
The conversion was generally limited to adding more role-specific armaments and new technology as it became available. Additions were made piecemeal, and ships were often lost with only some, or even none, of the following modifications. In common with most elderly destroyers allocated to escort duties in World War II, the after bank of torpedo tubes was removed early in the war and replaced with a single QF 12 pdr A/A gun. They also landed 'Y' gun to receive additional space for depth charge gear and stowage. Generally, two 20 mm Oerlikons were added in the bridge wings and (when available) replaced the old 2 pounder guns amidships, 'A' gun was replaced by a Hedgehog weapon and Radar Type 271 target indication was added on the bridge, with Type 286 or 291 air warning fitted at the masthead as and when available. Walpole, Windsor, Witshed and Wivern received an army-pattern twin Ordnance QF 6 pounder
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
semi-automatic gun in 'A' position for East Coast anti-E boat work.
The following vessels were short range escorts (one vessel was allocated a new pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
in the L - escort - series):
- Vortigern
- Walpole
- Windsor (L94)
- Veteran
- Whitshed
- Wild Swan
- Wishart
- Witch
- Witherington
- Wivern
- Wolverine
Unmodified escorts
The remainder of the class were unaltered as all (except Worcester) were war losses during 1940 (one vessel was allocated a new pennant numberPennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
in the L - escort - series):
- Venetia
- Wakeful (L91)
- Wessex
- Whirlwind
- Worcester
- Wren
There remained also the quartet in the Royal Australian Navy - Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager and Waterhen - which simply had the aft bank of torpedo tubes replaced by a 12pdr A/A gun, and had 2 or 4 x 20mm A/A and 4 x .5in A/A guns added.
V and W class in fiction
- HMS Viperous is the name of a fictional V and W class destroyer in the novel The Cruel SeaThe Cruel Sea (book)The Cruel Sea is a 1951 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. It follows the lives of a group of Royal Navy sailors fighting the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II....
by Nicholas MonsarratNicholas MonsarratCommander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat RNVR was a British novelist known today for his sea stories, particularly The Cruel Sea and Three Corvettes , but perhaps best known internationally for his novels, The Tribe That Lost Its Head and its sequel, Richer Than All His Tribe.- Early life :Born...
, the leader of an escort group including Compass Rose, the focus of the first part of the story. - HMS Warlock is the name of the leader of a flotilla of eight fictional V and W class destroyers in the 1974 novel The Destroyers by Douglas ReemanDouglas ReemanDouglas Edward Reeman, born at Thames Ditton, is a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars....
. - HMS Vagabond is the name of an apparently fictional V and W class destroyer in the 1989 novel The Fighting Spirit by Charles Giddey (Wheeler) published by William Collins. In this book's fictionalised account of the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation at least 15 actual V and W class ships are mentioned.
- HMS Viking and HMS Vectra are two of the escorts of the 14th Aircraft Carrier Squadron in Alistair MacLean'sAlistair MacLeanAlistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers or adventure stories, the best known of which are perhaps The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare, all three having been made into successful films...
novel HMS UlyssesHMS Ulysses (novel)HMS Ulysses was the first novel by Scottish author Alistair MacLean, and ultimately, one of his most popular. Originally published in 1955, it was also released by Fontana Books in 1960...
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See also
- U and V class destroyerU and V class destroyerThe U and V class was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1942–1943. They were constructed in two flotillas, each with names beginning with "U-" or "V-"...
- Second World War destroyer design with "V" names - W and Z class destroyerW and Z class destroyerThe W and Z class was a class of sixteen destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1943–1944. They were constructed as two flotillas, with names beginning with "W-" and "Z-", respectively, although, like the preceding U and V class, two of the flotilla leaders were named after historical naval...
- Second World War destroyer design with "W" names